Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM)
Flight time
≈ 2h 35m
Bearing
287° W
Washington (DCA) to Des Moines (DSM) is 895 miles (1,440 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
Look up a route, or build a trip
Change the airports, or add stops for a multi-leg trip.
What actually flies DCA–DSM
Filed traffic dataIn June 2026, PSA Airlines was the only carrier flying nonstop DCA–DSM; the Bombardier CRJ-900 was the most common aircraft at 87% of departures; flights ran 77% full.
Departures
103
June 2026
Seats
7,685
both directions
Passengers
5,942
both directions
Load factor
77.3%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies DCA–DSM?
PSA Airlines was the only carrier to fly nonstop DCA–DSM in June 2026 (103 departures).
- OH
103 departures · 7,685 seats
Share of departures100.0%77.3%
Load
What plane flies DCA–DSM?
In June 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-900 flew 87% of DCA–DSM departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Bombardier CRJ-900
90 departures · 78.1% load
87.4% - Bombardier CRJ-700
13 departures · 71.2% load
12.6%
How has DCA–DSM traffic changed?
Nonstop DCA–DSM departures rose from 96 in July 2025 to 103 in June 2026.
Monthly nonstop DCA–DSM traffic, trailing 12 months through June 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
July 2025
96 departures · 5,788 passengers
82.9%
Load
August 2025
121 departures · 6,291 passengers
74.2%
Load
September 2025
118 departures · 5,523 passengers
69.8%
Load
October 2025
124 departures · 6,335 passengers
69.2%
Load
November 2025
103 departures · 5,165 passengers
66.8%
Load
December 2025
83 departures · 4,398 passengers
70.0%
Load
January 2026
102 departures · 4,770 passengers
61.7%
Load
February 2026
104 departures · 5,504 passengers
70.9%
Load
March 2026
111 departures · 6,186 passengers
73.8%
Load
April 2026
119 departures · 5,932 passengers
66.1%
Load
May 2026
121 departures · 6,834 passengers
75.6%
Load
June 2026
103 departures · 5,942 passengers
77.3%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
DCA → DSM
76.2% full
53 departures · 3,011 passengers
DSM → DCA
78.5% full
50 departures · 2,931 passengers
Nonstop DCA–DSM traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through June 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Frequently asked
How far is Washington (DCA) from Des Moines (DSM)?
DCA to DSM is 895 miles (1,440 km / 778 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from DCA to DSM?
A nonstop covers the 895-mile great-circle distance in roughly 2h 35m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies DCA–DSM?
In June 2026, the Bombardier CRJ-900 flew the largest share of departures (87.4%), followed by the Bombardier CRJ-700 (12.6%).
What mileage do I earn flying DCA–DSM?
Distance-based programs credit off the 895-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
Keep exploring
Every route below is its own page.
Popular long-haul routes